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Choose Your Partner Carefully. You child's life may depend on it!

Often
times a parent's partner (typically the mother's boyfriend) is left to care for
children that are not their own when they lack the parenting skills and patience
necessary to provide care.

In 21% of Nevada cases, parental substance
abuse was cited as the primary reason for child welfare intervention. 40% of
abused children in Nevada are 3 years or younger,
which is higher than the national average of 32% in the same age group.

While neglect is the most common type of maltreatment
across all age groups, types of maltreatment vary by age. In 2011, about 81
percent of substantiated child maltreatment reports for children ages 0–3
involved neglect, compared with 63 percent for adolescents ages 16–17. 21% of
substantiated reports for adolescents ages 16–17 involved physical abuse and
17% involved sexual abuse. Among substantiated reports for children ages 0–3,
some 14% involved physical abuse and 2% involved sexual abuse.

Fortunately,
not all of these incidents end in a fatality - but in order to prevent the
abuse and/or neglect of children, Prevent Child Abuse Nevada, in partnership
with several other community agencies, have initiated the Choose Your Partner
Carefully Campaign in the state of Nevada.

How to Choose Your
Partner / Person(s) Caring for Your Child

Choosing an appropriate caregiver, including a caregiving
partner, is one of the most important decisions a parent can make. Just because
someone is a lover, relative, or close friend does not mean they are capable of
taking care of a child.

Questions to ask yourself:
How does he/she treat other women/men in his/her life? How does he/she treat
other children (nieces, nephews, friends' children, etc.)?
Does he/she get angry when you spend time with your child?
Does he/she get angry or impatient when your child cries or has a tantrum?
Does he/she call your child bad names or put them down?
Does he/she think it's funny to scare your child?
Does he/she make all the decisions for you and your child?
Does he/she put you down or tell you that you're a bad parent or that you
shouldn't have your kids?
Does he/she pretend when he/she hurts your child that you are to blame or that
it's no big deal?
Does he/she tell you that our child is a nuisance or annoying?
Does he/she scare your child by using guns, knives, or other weapons?

If you answered yes to even
one of these questions, your child could be at risk. Never leave your child
with someone you don't trust to keep your child safe.

Warning Signs- Choose a person to care for your child
that is NOT:

Angry or impatient when children have tantrums, cry, or
misbehave.
Violent and/or controlling with his or her partner.
Abusing alcohol and drugs, including marijuana.
Using prescription medications that have bad side effects or make the person
drowsy.
Untrustworthy for any reason.

Punishment or Abuse?

Could your partner be abusing your child and calling it,
"punishment?" Learn to recognize the difference between punishment
and abuse. It could save your child's life. Punishment runs the risk of being
excessive if...

The child has a physical injury, such as bruising, broken
skin, swelling, marks from an object such as an extension cord or hairbrush, a
burn or a situation that requires medical attention.
The person administering the punishment means to instill fear rather than
educate your child.
The person administering the punishment loses control.
The action is inappropriate for the child's age.
The action results from unreasonable demands or expectations for the child.

When Do I Know if I've Gone Too Far? Ask yourself
how you feel about the punishment.
Do I feel good about this action?
Is there an important lesson to be taught?
Does the child know that the person giving the punishment loves him or her?
Is there mutual respect, or is there fear?
Are you or your partner behaving in a way you would like your child to behave?

Your child needs to know that you are in charge, but that
you love and respect them. They should not fear you or your partner. Talk to
your children and decide together on expectations and reasonable consequences
for misbehavior.

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